A number of various telecommunication service providers are available for the multitude of devices are now capable of accessing one or more networks for a wide variety of reasons. Cellular devices such as, for example, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, and smart watches can use subscriber identification module (SIM) cards or an electronic subscriber identification module (eSIM) to access cellular and internet protocol (IP) networks to provide voice, data, messaging, and other services. Other devices, such as smart power or water meters, parking meters, automobiles, and pet trackers, for example, can also be connected to various data networks to provide reporting, receive updates, etc. Indeed, the so-called “Internet of Things” (“IoT”) can include any number of internet-connected devices such as thermostats, water heaters, refrigerators, and other everyday devices configured to access any number of cellular and IP networks for updates, support, remote control services, and other purposes. Currently, vendors of SIM cards or eSIM profiles have complete control over the SIM life cycle and management of the SIM life cycle. In addition, partners who need SIMs to do a certain job currently have to integrate with a particular SIM vendor. A single vendor providing services to the network can lead to supply, distribution, and pricing concerns.
Traditionally, there have been two categories of network profiles—machine-to-machine (or, “M2M”) and consumer. M2M includes devices like the aforementioned parking meters, smart power meters, thermostats, pet trackers, etc. Consumer devices, on the other hand, include cellular phones, smart phones, and tablet and laptop computers, among other things. Thus, an M2M device, including an M2M network profile, is typically given limited access, e.g., to data and short message service (SMS), for example, while a consumer device, including a consumer network profile, is typically given more extensive access to voice, SMS, data, and other features on the network.
Conventionally, SIM cards are configured as warm SIMs; that is, they are pre-loaded on a billing system and their information is stored in network databases including an over-the-air (OTA) database, an authentication and cyphering (AUC) database, and a home location register (HLR) with enough information to allow voice or data access to the network. Then, the SIMs are inserted into devices and shipped to users or stores so that every device—phone, tablet, watch—is given to a user with a SIM card to allow users to activate the device by calling customer care. Thus, conventionally, all SIMs must be able to authenticate and make calls on the network before devices are shipped. Conventionally, SIM profiles of any type must be ordered in bulk—by the tens of thousands—months in advance, and millions of profiles are loaded on the network in advance, which leads to expensive waste of network memory for extended periods of time before those SIM profiles are actually put into use. Memory databases store the SIM information in real time in memory databases, which are expensive to install and maintain as they are site and geo-redundant with data replication between sites. Meanwhile, many SIM profiles are stored unused for years, and the ratio of active accounts to warm SIMs can be less than 0.3-0.4. With the advent of eSIM and profiles that can be loaded onto devices remotely, a more efficient process can be designed. There is a need for a more efficient process.